Diablo 3 Server Error: Blizzard delays Auction House feature

Auction House will continue to use virtual money for time being

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Diablo 3 woes continue, as games publisher Blizzard pushes back the release date of its Auction House feature and issues apology to fans

Adding to a list of problems surrounding the launch of Diablo 3, Blizzard Entertainment has announced that it has pushed back the release of its real-money Auction House feature, which allows users to flog game items for actual cash.

The feature was set to go live on May 22 but suffered from blips, supposedly as a result of the game's servers not functioning properly due to overwhelming demand.

In a shock admission on the official Diablo III forum, the games publisher said its preparations for the launch of the game "did not go far enough" and that it had implemented a series of optimisations to help its systems cope with the global rush.

It read: "We’d also like to say that we’ve been humbled by your enthusiasm -- and we sincerely regret that your crusade to bring down the Lord of Terror was thwarted not by mobs of demons, but by mortal infrastructure."

"These issues cropped up again last night for the Americas and Europe servers. Despite very aggressive projections, our preparations for the launch of the game did not go far enough."

Alongside this candid admittance was the confirmation that Diablo 3's controversial real-money Auction House feature has been delayed indefinitely.

"In order to make sure everything is continuing to run as it should, we’ve decided to move out our target launch for the real-money auction house beyond our original estimated date of May 22. We’ll post further updates on that in the near future."

Diablo 3 Plot

Players battle as one of five characters –barbarian, wizard, monk, demon hunter or witch doctor – through endless legions of evil as they attempt to rid Sanctuary of corrupting forces.

Along the way, they will encounter vast locations and foes, grow in ability and skill, and collect both money and artifacts.

Diablo 3 Features

Once again, Blizzard will utilise its esteemed online platform, Battle.net, to provide cooperative play for adventurers around the world. However, an entirely novel feature of the sequel is the Battle.net Auction House, a marketplace where players can trade their hard-earned loot in exchange for in-game gold.

The real novelty here, though, is that players will have the option to receive real-world currency from auction house sales, which they can then spend on digital Battle.net products or cash out through a third-party payment service such as PayPal.